Valencia’s win over champions Atletico Madrid earlier this year was a huge moment in their burgeoning season. Though early, it was a point of vindication, one which seemed to affirm their credentials as a side who could genuinely challenge for fourth or higher.
Rather unfortunately, they followed it up with a 3-0 drubbing by Deportivo La Coruna. Again, they stare down genuine title challengers, this time in the form of Barcelona, and will again be keen to show they are Champions League material.
Valencia are yet to lose to a top 10 side so far, registering comfortable wins over Villarreal, Malaga, and of course Atletico. But it’s the results against the big boys that matter, right? Now they face one of the biggest. Can Nuno Espirito Santo’s charges go toe-to-toe with some of the world’s best players?
Los Che have little trouble scoring goals, scoring at least three times in seven of their matches this season. However, it might prove a tad more difficult against the League’s staunchest defence.
Barca have only conceded six times in the League and rather impressively kept a record eight straight clean sheets. However there are signs of the Catalan rear-guard slowly dissipating, with no clean sheet in the last three League matches.
One man likely to feature as part of that back four is former Valencia man Jeremy Mathieu. The Frenchman left Mestalla in the summer in a €20m deal and is already one of the first names on the team sheet. Expect boos after his unceremonious departure.
While breaching the defence is a concern, Valencia’s biggest fears will be keeping out one of the most feared attacking trios in European football in the form of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez out.
Amongst the dangerous trio, Messi was always the dynamite; the one to fear. But in his current form he looks back at his unstoppable best, when goals were abundant, and more or less a formality if he was on the pitch.
The Argentine claimed Telmo Zarra’s La Liga goal scoring record in emphatic fashion, with a hat-trick. But he was not content with just one record this week, as he took top spot on the Champions League goal scorers list from Raul, again, with a stunning treble. A hat-trick of hat-tricks is not out of the question – at least as far as Messi is concerned.
Messi and his cohorts’ midweek exploits could be to their detriment, with Valencia keen to explore any potential fatigue in Luis Enrique’s side after their trip to Cyprus. Without the burden of European football, Nuno had the week to prepare for the massive matchup.
The match is also of great importance to Barcelona. After a blistering start to the season, they now sit five points behind Real Madrid, and must close the gap, with Los Blancos unbeaten in their last 16 matches.
And while La Blaugrana are still banging in the goals, a loss allows Atletico, and today’s opponents Valencia to take full advantage. A loss at Mestalla may not prove decisive for their season, it will hurt to lose to a side they can call rivals this season.
Valencia passed the first big test of the season, effectively crushing Atletico in 13 minutes. They now have 90 to do the same to Barcelona.
